Skein holder



March 18, 1958 w. F. KRAEMER 2,827,247

SKEIN HOLDER Filed March 9, 1956 INVENTOR. Wl u l s F, KQAEMEQ Arr Tcczm EYS Unite 2,327,247 Patented Mar. is, tess SKEIN HOLDER Willis F. Kraemer, Knoxville, rienn. Application March 9, 1956, Serai No. 570,551)

2 Claims. (Cl. 242-127) This invention relates to a device designed for the storage and convenient use of skeins of embroidery floss, the skeins being of the type available in commercial establishments in standard sizes and used for embroidery work. In Work of this type, several colors of oss will generally be used on a particular piece of work intermittently. It is almost impossible, in this connection, to keep the skeins intact in the paper band in which they are usually sold, and it is a common occurrence for the skeins to become knotted, wound one upon another, and othewise placed in a condition that makes their e'icient use difficult.

in view of the difficulties which have heretofore per sisted, it is proposed to provide a floss file or case in which the various skeins can be wound about spaced, parallel bars or pairs of pegs with their respective threads protruding through spaced apertures formed in the front wall of the file. In this way, the required amount of each skein can be pulled out as the skein unwinds from the pegs or bars without danger of knotting or intermingling of the skeins. The device, in this connection, is so formed as to cause the entire skein to slide or rotate about its associated pegs or bar.

Heretofore, devices falling within the above designated general category have been provided, and the main ob ject of the invention is to provide a generally improved device of this nature. For example, it has been proposed to retain the lioss within its associated band, with the band being gripped, the principles of a device of this type entailing acceptance of the manufacturers concept that the band should keep the floss in order. However, such devices are not, it is believed, eiiicient, since they do not result in an even iiow of the material from the skein. By use of a skein rotating upon a pair of pegs or an elongated bar, an even feed, Without possibility of tangling is achieved. Y

It has further been proposed to engage the skein about spaced pins, with Withdrawal of the tioss being eifective by opening the case or by unwinding the lloss through means provided to grip the free end. Such an arrangement, however, tends to become so complicated as to be impractical from the standpoint of commercial feasibility.

More specific objects of the invention, accordingly, are to provide a particuiarly simple construction capable of manufacture in its entirety from a pair of molded, onepiece casing sections; to improve upon the eli'iciency of the prior art devices by insuring the even liow of the floss without its being gripped tightly at any location along its length; to provide an arrangement which will insure at all times the separation of the various colors from one another; and to provide a case construction which will not require opening of the case during use of any selected skein, while still exposing all the skeins for replenishment or removal whenever desired.

Gther objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a tloss tile formed according to the present invention, portie-ns being shown in section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view on line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on line 3 3 of Figure 2, portions being broken away; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary exploded perspective View.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the floss file constituting the present invention includes a container gen erally designated 10, normally closed by a removable cover 12. These constitute the only pieces required in the device and can be molded from plastic material or the like, a transparent plastic being preferred so as to provide for full visibility of the skeins.

The container 10 includes a tiat, rectangular bottom 14, and integral with and projecting upwardly from bottom 14 are cylindrical, vertical pegs 16. These are in two rows, extending in closely spaced relation to and paralleling opposite sides of the container as shown in Figure l, with the pegs of each row being uniformly spaced through the full length of the row.

Also integral with the bottom 14 is a side wall 18 eX- tending through the full periphery of the bottom wall and rising to a height slightly greater than that of the pegs.

In one of the walls that parallels the rows of pegs, there are formed vertical slots Ztl, of narrow width (Figure 2) formed at their inner ends with circular enlargements 24, the plane of the top surface of the bottom wall 1d being tangential to the enlargements or apertures 24. At their upper ends, the slots are formed with flaring throats 22 the large ends of which open upon the top edge of the side wall of the container.

On the slotted wall there are formed vertical reinforcing ribs 26, alternating with the slots and spaced equidistantly from the slots as shown in Figures 2 and 4. The ribs 26 extend from the bottom of the container to a location adjacent to the top edge thereof.

Considering now the construction of the cover 12, this includes a flat, rectangular plate 2S having a peripheral, depending fiange 30 extending about the side wall 18. Gn the underside of plate 28 are formed depending, cylindrical sockets 32 opening downwardly to receive the upper ends of pegs 16.

A length of iioss 34 is illustrated in Figure l, Wound upon a skein generally designated 36. During the use of the device, with the cover removed, a plurality of skeins would be disposed in spaced, parallel relation, with the ends of each skein extending about corresponding pegs of the two rows of pegs 16. The thread 34 extends from the skein through the opening 2li adjacent the associated skein, and as shown in Figures l and 2, each opening 24 is disposed in a position in which it is laterally oiset to a slight extent from a straight line drawn between corresponding pegs of the respective rows. Thus, each opening 24 is closer to the peg associated therewith than to the next pair of adjacent pegs.

This causes the thread 34 to extend substantially in a straight line along one side of the skein and out the associated opening 24, eliminating bending of the thread about the edge of its associated opening during use.

After the skeins have been applied, the cover is returned to position, and the skeins will now be prevented from moving upwardly off their associated pegs. The sockets 32, in this connection, when positioned over the pegs, define downwardly facing, circumferential shoulders 38 on the pegs, which shoulders hold the skeins against upward movement upon the pegs out of a proper position in which they extend about the lower end portions of the pegs.

The threads are, of course, inserted in openings 24 by assiali? downward movement, with the cover off, through throats 22 and slots 20.

It has been found that a device formed and operating in the manner discussed above has particular advantages in permitting use of selected threads without intermingling of skeins. Further, the Aconstruction has the highly desirable characteristic wherein the skeins are not frictionally engaged with any components of the device, except perhaps to a slight extent with the pegs about which they are positioned. Since the pegs have smooth rounded surfaces, this friction is kept to a minimum. Therefore, on pulling of a thread during use thereof, the skeins will rotate While unwinding, being turned bodily about their associated, paired pegs of the respective rows.

Still further, the construction permits one to position the skeins over their pegs without doing more than removing the band normally holding the skeins, it being conventional merchandising practice to sell the skeins in the elongated shape shown in Figure 1.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof desscribed above since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A iioss file comprising a shallow, upwardly opening container; a pair of rows of pegs extending within said container, the pegs of said rows projecting upwardly from the bottom wall of the container with the pegs of one row being aligned with corresponding pegs of the other row, one wall of the container having a plurality of openings spaced along the length thereof and said openings being disposed in positions slightly offset in a lateral direction from a line drawn between said corresponding pegs of the respective rows, for receiving threads unwound from a skein held by said corresponding pegs;

and a cover removably positioned upon said container, said cover including a plurality of thickwalled depending sockets receiving the upper ends of the pegs in the applied position of the cover, said sockets having fiat lower end surfaces in a plane normal to the lengths of the pegs defining downwardly facing shoulders extending circumferentially of the respective pegs, for holding the skeins against upward movement along their associated pegs.

2. A floss le comprising a shallow, upwardly opening container; a pair of rows of pegs extending within said container', the pegs of said rows projecting upwardly from the bottom wall of the container with the pegs of one row being aligned with corresponding pegs of the other row, one wall of the container having a plurality of openings spaced along the length thereof and said openings being disposed in positions slightly offset in a lateral direction from a line drawn between said corresponding pegs of the respective rows, for receiving threads unwound from a skein held by said corresponding pegs; and a cover removably positioned upon said container, said cover including a plurality of thick-walled depending sockets receiving the upper ends of the pegs in the applied position of the cover, said sockets having flat lower end surfaces in a plane normal to the lengths of the pegs defining downwardly facing shoulders extending circumferentially of the respective pegs, for holding the skeins against upward movement along their associated pegs, said openings being formed adjacent the bottom of the container, said wall of the container being formed with narrow vertical slots being of a width approximating the thickness of a single thread and opening upon the top edge thereof, said slots communicating at their lower ends with said openings to permit insertion and removal of threads, at a location disposed downwardiy a substantial distance from said plane of the shoulders.

Trachsel et al Mar. 17, 1896 Motz Aug. 3, 1948 

